Oregon teens to compete in annual Salmon Bowl Competition

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Eleven Oregon high school teams will test their knowledge of marine sciences on Saturday, Feb. 24, during the annual Salmon Bowl competition at Oregon State University.

The winning team will earn a trip to the national competition in Stony Brook, N.Y., in April. About 100 volunteers, including faculty, staff and students in the OSU College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, will help host the event as part of their effort to boost science literacy and interest in the world's oceans.

"As the public becomes more exposed to issues of global warming, low oxygen ‘hypoxia’ zones, declining fish stocks and harmful algal blooms, they become increasingly interested in the world’s oceans,” said Pete Strutton, a faculty member in the OSU college and an adviser for the Salmon Bowl. “The event is a fun way to help foster that interest among high school students.”

The public is invited to watch the Salmon Bowl, held on the OSU campus from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Burt Hall, Wilkinson Hall, and the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences administrative building. All three facilities are located roughly at 26th Street and Monroe in Corvallis. Admission is free.

This statewide competition is part of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, which aims to develop the next generation of marine scientists, policy makers, educators, explorers, researchers and advocates. It is organized by the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education, a group of 85 universities and aquaria, including OSU. More information is available at: http://www.nosb.org/

Last year's winning team, Neah-Kah-Nie, returns to defend its title.

Competing teams will tackle questions about the global carbon cycle, phytoplankton, ocean currents, tsunamis, undersea earthquakes, fisheries and climate change – to name just a few.

Care to test your own knowledge? Here’s one sample question: “The period for deep water circulation of the ocean is on the order of A) 10,000 years; B) 1,000 years; C) 200 years; or D) 10 years. The correct answer is “B.”

Another question: Which of the following is responsible for approximately 16 percent of global sulfur-based emissions? A) automobiles; B) large ocean vessels; C) power plants; or D) airplanes? Correct answer: “B.”

And finally, which ocean is the youngest among the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Southern oceans? If you came up with the Atlantic, you were correct.

"These students face some tough questions," said Coral Gehrke, a graduate student in OSU's College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, who is coordinating the event, along with Eleanor Hodak, another grad student. "Some of them are things that we are learning as graduate students – and some are based upon the research of our major professors at OSU, which is exciting.”